Janet Jackson - Design of a Decade

Rock DVD - Despite its 2001 release date, Design of a Decade actually covers 1986-96, the strongest period of Janet Jackson's recording career. The earliest videos here, supporting her breakthrough Control album, date not one whit -- especially "Nasty," the sassy anthem that put Ms. Jackson on the map, and "Control," her statement of purpose expressed in a gritty solo dance through a warehouse. Credit the hypnotic beats and smooth production from her collaborators, producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. On subsequent albums -- Rhythm Nation 1814 and janet -- she wends her way through to social commentary (the cool, black-and-white, industrial apocalypse of "Rhythm Nation") and insouciant, funky pop ("Alright") to the more alarmingly personal and seductive "That's the Way Love Goes." Stunning choreography and arresting, artistic visuals have always been the keys to Janet's music video work, and Design of a Decade splendidly encapsulates this pivotal phase of her career. - Janet Jackson: Design of a Decade (DVD)